The US has apologised to Assad for the attack on the Syrian army

25.09.2016

In an interview to a Federal TV channel, Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the implementation of the agreements on Syria that cost the Minister of 16 hours of heavy conversation with John Kerry, Moscow does not intend to retreat. While Lavrov announced new details about the process of Syrian settlement, including the fact that the United States had to apologize to Bashar al-Assad.

The US apologized to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for an airstrike on the government army, said the Minister of foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov in the program “Vesti on Saturday”. “Yeah, sorry” he said, answering the question was brought whether the United States apology to the President of Syria for an airstrike in Deir-ez-Zor. Recall that on 17 September, the BBC international coalition headed by the USA attacked Syrian army positions, killing 62 soldiers, after the attack began the advance of ISIS*. The Central command of the U.S. armed forces in a statement acknowledged that the us coalition launched strikes from the air the government army. Moreover, the United States two days worked goal before surgery. The Kremlin attack the Americans on the position of the army of the legitimate leadership of Syria was considered monstrous. Russia announced the convening of an emergency meeting of the UN security Council in connection with the attacks on the United States and coalition for Syrian troops. The VZGLYAD newspaper reported in detail about how this meeting went.

“The line was static for more than two years”

“First there was information that this was a strike with artillery, then this information quickly disappeared. Then began to mention the helicopters…”

“The situation (with the strike) a little strange after the stated Lavrov. I said US Secretary of state John Kerry, and then at the meeting of the International Syrian support group (ISSG) that the situation in Deir ez-Zor, in contrast to the situation in Aleppo, where the line of contact is constantly changing, static for more than two years. There, Syrian troops surrounded by ISIS”.

The Minister recalled that Russia regularly delivers in the area of humanitarian aid and other necessary life products, throwing them from planes. “The same flights (parauterine humanitarian assistance) was carried out by the UN. It’s a known fact, – said Lavrov. – Very hard to believe that the scouts of the US-led coalition, which works against ISIL throughout Syria (namely, ISIS in Deir ezzor was surrounded by government troops), he could forget about who is where. Although I am not to blame”.

In conversation with the foreign Minister mentioned another incident related directly to the Syrian conflict and relations between Moscow and Washington.

We are talking about the shelling in the early weeks of a humanitarian convoy of the UN to the North-West of Aleppo. UN officials reported many of the victims. The United States also recall, said about the alleged Russian involvement in the attack on the convoy – this accusation, in particular, was the Deputy national security Advisor for US President Ben Rhodes. The UN, however, recall could not confirm the fact of the airstrike on the convoy.

The Russian defense Ministry in response issued made drones a video recording of the movement of humanitarian convoy of the UN on territory controlled by the rebels Aleppo province. When this was revealed, new details: along with a convoy of terrorists throw a pickup truck with attached mortar of large caliber. The mortar at the destination of the motorcade disappeared, however, it is unclear at whom he was shooting during Parking and unloading.

The chief of the main operations Directorate of the General staff Lieutenant-General Sergey rudskoy said earlier that controlled by the United States armed forces are not equipped with a checkpoint on “the road to Castello, where the incident occurred that creates the impression that this situation American partners created artificially, to accuse Russia and Syria of disrupting the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

In addition, the official representative of the Ministry of defense of Russia Igor Konashenkov said that the Predator drone of the type the US-led coalition was in the area of the attack on the humanitarian convoy of the United Nations in Syria at the time of the fire. The same type of UAV allows to carry out air strikes.

The investigation into the attack on the convoy in Aleppo should start with the presentation of shells, “which were in this convoy,” Lavrov said in an interview to “Vesti on Saturday”. It, “probably the easiest way and the first necessary step. First there was information that this was a strike with artillery, then this information quickly disappeared. Then began to mention the helicopters. For ammunition, I think all can understand, – said the Minister. Is the same as happens in any other situation, it is elementary and should be the first phase of the investigation.

The UN has repeatedly warned

Earlier, speaking at a press conference in the headquarters of the UN, Lavrov said: the UN has repeatedly warned about impending attacks on the humanitarian convoys.

So, at a meeting with U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry on August 26, the UN special envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura said he expects sending the first convoy in Eastern Aleppo through Turkish border.

“Then the people of the UN received a message from the so-called local Council in East Aleppo that will be used if “the road to Castello,” we will strike at the convoy,” – said Lavrov. In this regard, he recalled that he had asked John Kerry a question “whether he will swallow, or they have influence and use friends from the coalition from the region, to discipline people, to allow aid delivery”.

“De Mistura said, “Let’s wait a couple of days.” Then he was hoping for early September and so forth,” – said Lavrov.

The Minister also noted earlier publication in the Wall Street Journal, “that the day before this unfortunate convoy moved, the same local Council from the same part of Aleppo said, “Please, don’t send an escort, because the government plans to strike. And I think people from the UN, from the Department (the permanent under Secretary of the UN for humanitarian Affairs Steven) O’brien, said the risk of attack is not a reason not to send the convoy.”

“I do not support conspiracy theories, but if one and the same group a month ago that opened fire on a convoy, and after a month they said that the government will do it, this is another reason for a thorough investigation,” – said Lavrov.

“It was difficult – took more than 16 hours”

In this interview the Minister mentioned that aware about the differences of the state Department and the Pentagon regarding the settlement of the situation in Syria. At the same time, Lavrov added, “we sorry for the rude word don’t fit in their internal relationship”.

The Russian foreign Ministry “comes from very simple things,” said the head of Russian diplomacy. The agreement on Syria reached on September 9 in Geneva as diplomats by the military, security services negotiated with Secretary of state Kerry), – the continuation of the agreement, which Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama had reached three days before the meeting in China. The presidents of Russia and the United States met and spent a couple hours with us and other assistants, according the principles that should form the basis for agreements”, said Lavrov.

“We in Geneva had to put everything on paper, although it wasn’t easy – it took more than 16 hours,” added the Minister.

Yesterday the US state Department has published a previously-closed part of the text which establishes the Geneva agreement. In fact, the state Department only followed the American media. A few hours before the Associated Press published one of the leaked documents from the package of the Russian-American agreement. As previously noted the newspaper VIEW, in the text there are points that are critical for “American partners”. Experts point out that some influential forces in Washington annoys the recognition of Russia as an equal partner on the settlement in Syria.

We would add that Lavrov, in his interview gave the West a clear message: “If everything will be to requests for unilateral steps by the Russian space forces and the air force SAR, say, give more pause for three or four days, and then we convince all the opposition that is serious, that they should dissociate themselves from “Dzhebhat EN-Nusra”, these conversations will no longer perceive us seriously.”

* Organization in respect of which the court accepted entered into legal force decision on liquidation or ban the activities on the grounds stipulated by the Federal law “On countering extremist activity”